Excelencias de la Sabiduría - The Excellence of Wisdom

This Tuesday, Adrian and I drove to Ojinaga, Mexico in the state of Camargo, right on the border of Presidio, Texas to pick up Brother Lanny Ashcraft and some supplies for a medical team that is here for this coming week.

On the trip home, as Brother Lanny was driving, I was reading in Proverbs 2 and the Lord was speaking to me through His Word. Something about the beauty of the Spanish language, or maybe my own interpretation of it, made these verses stand out to me in a more clear understanding than I'd had before.

Listen:
“Hijo mío, si recibieres mis palabras, y mis mandamientos guardares dentro de ti, Haciendo estar atento tu oído a la sabiduría; Si inclinares tu corazón a la prudencia, si clamares a la inteligencia, y a la prudencia dieres tu voz; Si como a la plata la buscares, y la escudriñares como a tesoros, Entonces entenderás el temor de Jehová, Y hallarás el conocimiento de Dios. Porque Jehová da la sabiduría, y de su boca viene el conocimiento y la inteligencia. El provee de sana sabiduría a los rectos; es escudo a los que caminan rectamente. Es el que guarda las veredas del juicio, y preserva el camino de sus santos. Entonces entenderás justicia, juicio, y equidad, y todo buen camino. Cuando la sabiduría entrare en tu corazón, y la ciencia fuere grata a tu alma, la discreción te guardará; te preservará le inteligencia, Para librarte del mal camino…”

Here is my interpretation of this awesome passage:

"My son, if you will receive my words, and keep my commandments inside of you, they will make your ear attentive to wisdom; If you will bow your heart to prudence, if you will call out to understanding and will raise your voice to prudence; If you will seek it like silver, and will search for it like treasures, Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and you will find the knowledge of God. Because the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He provides sound wisdom to the righteous; He is a shield to them that walk righteously. It is He who keeps the paths of judgment, and perserves the way of his saints. Then you will understand justice, judgment, and equity, and every good way. When wisdom enters into your heart, and knowledge becomes pleasure to your soul, discretion will guard you; knowledge will preserve you, to free you from the wicked way..."

This passage was just an incredible reminder and challenge to me when I read it. I was reminded of my need to seek wisdom, to ask it of God, who gives liberally to all men, and it will be given to me. And the area that I most need wisdom in now is in relation to missions, the work on the field, the support-raising process, the decision on mission boards, and other questions. So the Lord pointed out to me that I was sitting even then next to a man of God who has been serving Him on the field here in Mexico for more than 30 years. So I put down my Bible and began to shoot questions to Brother Lanny regarding the different areas in which I had questions. It was a very neat thing to hear him tell stories of what had happened in his life, stories from the mission field, and advice concerning the process.

So I am grateful to God for His wisdom and ask that He will give me more each day...

Congratulations, Brother Martin and Sister Vickie

I would just like to send out a congratulations to Hermano Martin and his wife Vickie on the birth of their son, Adam. We just got back from the hospital and after waiting for about 4 hours, I got the privilege of being the first person outside of the family to hold little Adam. I don't have any of the girly details like how much he weighs, how long he is, or how long she was in labor because, well, I'm not a girl :o) But I did think you'd all like to see the picture I got of Mom, Grandma, and Grandson before I go to bed. He is such a cute little baby. He's got a full head of hair and the cutest little face. Anyway, congratulations, Brother Martin and Sister Vickie!

Lessons I've Learned

Today as I was teaching the youth in Sunday School, I noticed a couple of things that God has been using to teach me a couple of lessons this afternoon.

The first thing is really a praise. For one thing, every Sunday we're having more youth come to the Sunday School hour to study with us. This is very encouraging to me, not for number's sake, but because it shows me that the youth are learning, or being challenged by God's Word, or at the very least, understanding what I'm trying to teach :o) We have been studying "How to Think Like Jesus", and I believe these passages from the Bible are really connecting with their needs at these crucial stages of their lives. So praise the Lord for reaching and teaching them and for using and teaching me at the same time!

Another thing I noticed this morning taught me a couple of different things. What I noticed was that at the end of the lesson today, I felt like this lesson really connected with every teen in that room. I'm sure it probably sounds really impressive to all of you uni-lingual people back in the States that I'm trying to teach all in Spanish. But in reality, I just prepare my notes ahead of time with, literally, everything I'm planning to say. So at times, I'm more reading my notes than communicating personally. I mean that's fine and everything (didn't Charles Spurgeon do the same and just read his sermons?), but now I'm starting to get to the point where I can leave my notes more often and just speak about whatever the Holy Spirit is laying on my heart. I always noticed when I was working with the teens at Cornerstone that those were the times when I seemed to connect best with the teens - when the Holy Spirit leads me to speak about something I wasn't planning on speaking about. That way, only God can get the glory for the teaching and its effect on the teens lives, not some clever way I devised my lesson.

Well, anyway, at the end of the lesson today, I put down my notes and just talked to the teens. I tried to emphasize to them when I shared my testimony that I am nothing special - I am not some kind of significant person that God is sending to another country - but that I am only a slave of Jesus Christ. I told them that the only reason that God is leading me and using me is because I made the decision to surrender my life to Him when I was 12 years old. And we've been together long enough now, and I've messed up my Spanish enough times, that they've seen that I'm nothing special. Today we talked about the lives of 4 men in the Bible that God used in a very powerful way - Abraham, Joseph, David, and Saul/Paul. We studied what their lives were like before God called them and what their lives were like after they surrendered their plans and followed God's will for their lives. So at the end, I just tried to communicate to them how much bigger God's plans are for them than any plans they could have for their own lives. And it was one of those times where we really connected. I mean every person in that room met my eyes. There was nobody talking, looking around, or doing other things. It was very powerful to me to see God working in their hearts and challenging their thinking.

That taught me two things. #1 - You can communicate more sometimes through "heart language" than you can through spoken language. I know I messed up my Spanish, probably, when I left my notes, but they all got exactly what I was trying to communicate. #2 - That I still need to work on learning more Spanish. Seeing that it is more effective to communicate heart-to-heart, I really need to become more knowledgable of the language so that I can communicate more fluently and be able to be free to say whatever the Holy Spirit leads me to speak on.

So I am very encouraged today! I am encouraged that God chooses and uses weak vessels. I am encouraged that God qualifies the called. I am encouraged that the youth here are hungry for God's Word. And I am encouraged that God can use me and teach me at the same time. We serve a great and powerful God who gives us the blessed opportunity of being a part of reaping eternal fruit in our world.!

Sunday School Message #4

Introduction: OK, let’s get started. We have a lot to cover today and I want to make sure we have time to finish everything. We’re studying “How to think like Jesus”. We’ve seen so far that in order to think like Jesus, you must have a Heart for the Lost. And last week we saw that you must have a Heart for Prayer. Today, we’re going to study the third area that will help us think like Jesus: A Heart for God’s Will. We’re going to study the lives of 4 people from the Bible and what I want us to see is this – God has a plan for your life, and that plan is greater than any plans you could have for your own life. Let’s begin in prayer and we’ll start studying.

3. A Heart for God’s Will – Surrender
a. Abraham (Genesis 12)
i. Before God’s Call
- We see first of all that Abraham had a comfortable life. He had the typical life of a person who lived in that day. He had a large family who all lived near each other. He had a big herd of animals that provided his income. You could say everything was going well for him. For all we know, Abraham could have lived that life comfortably and happily for the rest of his life. But God had other plans
ii. Response to God’s Call
- In chapter 12, we see God’s call to Abraham. We’ve talked a little about this before, but I want us to review it again now. God spoke to Abraham and said, “Go from your land, and from your parents, to a land that I will show you...” God did not tell Abraham where he was going. He didn’t tell him how far. He didn’t tell him for how long. He just said, “Go…” Now to Abraham, this plan probably did not make sense. It was not logical. Why would God tell him to leave everything that he had lived for? Why should he leave the land where the rest of his family was to go to some other place? But God did offer him a promise at the same time. He said, “I will make you a great nation…” Now I personally believe that Abraham would have still obeyed God even if he had not received the promise. In our lives, when God calls us to do something, our obedience should not be based on a reward. Do you know what I mean? We should not answer God, “What will I get from you if I do what you say?” Our obedience should be immediate and unconditional. In this case, God did choose to tell Abraham what his reward would be, and Abraham had faith in the promises of God.
iii. After God’s Call
- I also told you before that Abraham’s faith was demonstrated again after he surrendered His life to God’s call. After God called Abraham, Abraham immediately surrendered to God, obeyed God, and then continued on. Verse 4 tells us that he traveled through , through , to and then God spoke to him again. Studying the geography of that land, we learn that Abraham traveled over 400 miles before God talked to Him again with further instructions. Abraham continued to show his faith in God’s promises even after he surrendered his life to God’s plans for his life. And in the end, we see that God was indeed faithful to Abraham. He did make him a great nation. He did multiply his descendants more than the stars in the sky. And it was through the line of Abraham that God chose to send His own son, the Messiah, the Savior of the world into the world. The plans that God had for Abraham’s life were much greater than Abraham’s plans for his own life.

b. Joseph (Genesis 37)
i. Before God’s Call
- In Genesis chapter 37, we learn about the life of Joseph. Joseph was one of 12 brothers in a very unusual family. We read in verse 3 that his father Jacob loved Joseph more than all of his children, because he was born in his old age and also because he was the firstborn of his favorite wife, Rachel. We see that before God called Joseph to the very special plan He had for him, Joseph would have lived a very comfortable and enjoyable life. Being his father’s favorite son, he was already receiving special treatment over his brothers. And we don’t typically understand the significance of the coat of many colors that Joseph’s father gave him. In that time, to have a very expensive and distinct tunic like this one was a symbol of authority. It meant that this person was the person in charge. It meant that this person is more important than the others. Occasionally, in our society, we can still see this type of symbolism. For example, sometimes in a restaurant or a department store, the manager will wear something that is different or more formal than the other employees. We can see how Joseph’s brothers responded to this when they said in verse 8, “Shall you indeed reign over us?”
ii. Response to God’s Call
- Now for Joseph, the call of God came in quite an unusual way. And in fact, it is possible to say that at the time, Joseph didn’t even realize that it was the call of God. But we see throughout this story that Joseph was completely surrendered to the will of God for His life – even at the times when it seemed that God was not in control or had made a mistake.
iii. After God’s Call
- The story of Joseph is one of my favorite in all of the Bible. He is the only character I have found in the Bible in whom we see no fault or sin. What I mean is that in every situation we find Joseph, he made the right choice and He trusted in the sovereignty of God even when he was unjustly treated. The plans God had for Joseph were to save the entire nation of Egypt, his entire family, and once again, the line through which Jesus Christ would enter the world. Joseph is a perfect example of faithfulness. He lived a life totally and completely surrendered to the will of God, even when he didn’t understand it. The plans that God had for Joseph’s life were much greater than Joseph’s plans for his own life.

c. David (I Samuel 16)
i. Before God’s Call
- Now let’s look at another famous character from the Bible – David. Where was David before God called him. He was out in the fields watching over his father’s sheep, playing music, and writing songs to the Lord. While we really don’t have any way of knowing what David had planned for his life, we see that he was already living a peaceful, typical life of any other youth of his time. He was the youngest of his brothers and was demonstrating a humble and obedient heart to his father.
ii. Response to God’s Call
- David had an advantage that most of us do not have. He was called very specifically by God at a very young age. When the prophet Samuel came to Jesse’s house that day to visit, God told him to anoint David as the next king of Israel. David knew exactly what God wanted for him and was surrendered to the will of God.
iii. After God’s Call
- But the thing I want us to notice with David was his trust and confidence in the timing of God’s will. Remember, from the time he was quite young, he knew that he would be the next king of Israel. So he goes about his life, continuing as a shepherd of his father’s sheep. One day, he hears that his older brothers and the army of Israel are at war. His father sends him to the battlefield to take food to his older brothers. David obeys. Have you noticed that David never said to his father, “Hey you shouldn’t be telling me what to do anymore, because I’m going to be the next king of Israel.” No, he continued on faithfully and obediently. When God uses him and he has killed the giant, do we see David trying to then claim the throne of Israel? No, he returned home and was faithful to where God had him. Later on, when King Saul starts to get jealous of him and tries to kill him, does he start a rebellion to take over the throne? No. So he flees into the mountains with his men. And then he gets an opportunity that most people would have taken. One day as he is hiding in the caves, King Saul comes into his cave, unaware of David’s presence and goes to sleep. David approaches with his men telling him, “God has given Saul into your hands. Take his life and take his throne.” But David’s response to them is, “How can I touch God’s anointed?” And he leaves Saul in peace. David not only surrendered to God’s plan, but to God’s timing.
- To be quite honest, this is an area that I really struggle with. Through various stages of my life, God has shown me the next steps He wants me to take in following His will. But my problem, then, has always been to trust God with the timing. As you all know, I’m 26 years-old right now. And obviously, I would really like to be married right now. But that has not been what God wants for me yet. In God’s timing, He will bring me a wife, if it is His will for me to be married. OK, so even more recently, I believe that God is calling me to move down here to Mexico and serve Him as a missionary. And to be honest with you all, I am struggling even right now with God’s timing for all of this. If it were up to me, I would go home next month, pack up what I need, sell what I don’t need, and move right back down here. But in God’s timing, it will probably be a year or more before I can get back here full-time. And I am learning to trust in God’s timing for even this next stage of my life. Once again, we see that God went on to use David for great and powerful things, including being part of the line that brought Jesus Christ into the world. Again we see that the plans that God had for David’s life were much greater than David’s plans for his own life.

d. Paul (Acts 9)
i. Before God’s Call
- In this last character, we will see the most dramatic change between the plans they had for their own life and the plans God had for their life. It is the man Saul, later known as the Apostle Paul. What was his life like before God called him? He was a very committed and dedicated Pharisee. He says of himself in Philippians 3 that he was “of the stock of Israel…” When we first meet Saul at the end of Acts 7, he was present and approving of the murder of Steven. He was convinced, as the other Pharisees, that Jesus was a false prophet and that all of His followers were a threat to their religion. Look together at Acts chapter 8 and verse 3: “Saul…” Now look at Acts 9:1-2.
ii. Response to God’s Call
- Somebody read Acts 9:3-8 for us, please. Here we see the very dramatic and specific call of God to Saul, this great persecutor of the church. Notice Saul’s immediate response to seeing Jesus face-to-face. He first says, “Who are you, Lord?” and then asks, “Lord, what will you have me do?” Nobody could describe better what should be our response to God’s call. “Lord, what will you have me do?”
- Young people, hear me. God has a plan for each one of your lives. And God is calling to each one of you, to do something special for Him. What will be your response? Will you answer, like Saul, “Lord, what will you have me do?”
iii. After God’s Call
- I don’t think any one of needs to be told what Saul, now called Paul, went out and did for God after he surrendered to His call. He literally changed the world. He became the world’s greatest missionary. He was used by God to write over half of the New Testament. In the end, he was killed for his faith, having lived a faithful life of service and surrender to the same Lord who appeared to him on the Road to Damascus that day. Again we see that the plans that God had for Paul’s life were much greater than Paul’s plans for his own life.


Conclusion: So the one thing I want all of you to learn from this lesson today is this: God has a plan for your life. That plan is greater than anything that you could dream or want for yourself. And there is only one thing that you need to do to begin to learn what that plan is. You must surrender your will to God’s will. You must be willing to do anything, to go anywhere, and to seek God’s will every day. Why would God show you His will for your life if you were not willing to do it? Now understand, He will not show you His whole plan for you all at once. He will lead you one step at a time, through His Word. And we’ll be talking about that more in a couple of weeks. God has a plan for your life, but you must be surrendered to that plan. Ask God in prayer every day, "Lord, what will you have me do?" Let’s pray…

Sunday School Message #3

4/20/08

2. A Heart for Prayer
Intro: Before we start today, I’d like somebody to remind me what we’re studying in this class. “How to Think Like Jesus”. And what was it that we talked about last week? A Heart for the Lost. Because remember that if we are going to think like Jesus, we must first of all develop a love for the lost, like Jesus had. Today, we’re going to study the second thing we need to think like Jesus – A Heart for Prayer. So let’s begin in prayer.

A. I Jn.5:14-15
Look first of all at I Jn.5:14-15. In this passage we learn that God answers our prayers because we are His children. Let me ask you this: Can God answer the prayers of a lost person? The answer, I believe, is yes. We can see times in the Scriptures and throughout history that God has answered the prayer of an unbeliever, but it was always with the result that they believed on Him and then received Him as their Savior. God can answer the prayer of an unbeliever, but He is under no obligation to.

B. Jn.14:13-14
Next, look at Jn.14:13-14. Jesus tells us here, “Y todo lo que pidiereis al Padre en mi nombre, esto haré, para que el Padre sea glorificado en el Hijo.” In his life on earth, Jesus was always trying to bring glory to His Father. And so He does when He answers our prayers. All of Jesus’ life was lived for the purpose of glorifying His Father. We’ll be looking at that area more in the next two weeks.

C. Lk.11:5-8,9-13; Matt.7:7-11
Look now at a passage in Luke. In this passage, Jesus asks the people He was teaching, how they would respond if they knew that somebody had a need, or even just a desire. He says, which of you who has a friend who is hungry would refuse to give him something to eat? The answer is obvious. None of us would do that. So Jesus then says, “If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to those who ask you, how much more will your Father who is in heaven?” God our Father loves us. And He is ready and waiting to give us the things that we ask for. But His desire is for us to ask those things of Him; then He will give us those things He already wants to give us. What a privilege we have in prayer to call upon the power and love of our Heavenly Father.

D. Mat.6:1-13; Lk.18:10-14
This next passage speaks not only of prayer, but of our Christianity in general. Matthew 6:1 says, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.” Jesus was speaking here of the religious practices of the Pharisees. Listen to what this passage says about them. When they came to the temple to give, they would sound a trumpet so that everyone would gather around to see what they were giving to the poor. Jesus says, “They have already received their reward.” The praise they received from men was the only reward they would receive. Jesus says, “When you give, do not let your right hand know what your left hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” The idea He is trying to communicate is that your giving is a personal matter between you and God. We are to give what God tells us, to whom God tells us, and when God tells us. And consider this. Someone once said, “You have never truly given, until you have given to somebody who can never repay you.” Jesus said, “When you do anything for the least of people, you did it unto me; and when you don’t do something for the least of people, you didn’t do it unto me.” Then Jesus applies the same principle to prayer. He says, “Don’t be like the Pharisees, who stand in the temple and on the street corners and pray loudly with long prayers so that people will hear them. But when you pray, go into your closet and pray to your Father who hears in secret and will reward you openly.”
He then gives them a sample prayer, which we know as “The Lord’s Prayer”. Jesus did not intend to give them some type of magic words here, but rather, a demonstration of our attitude in prayer. In this prayer we see worship (“Our Father…hallowed be thy name”), surrender (“Your will be done”), petition (“Give us this day”), repentance (“Forgive us our sins…”), guidance (“Lead us not into temptation”), protection (“Deliver us from evil”), and praise (“Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever”). When we pray to God with this attitude, He hears us.

E. Jms.4:2-3
Look now at another passage in James very briefly. This passage tells us first of all that often we don’t have what we need, because we have not asked for it. I ask you this, as I often ask myself: “Is prayer to you a first reaction or a last resort?” Too many times, I find in my own life that prayer is just a last resort. It’s like, “Well, I’ve tried everything else, so I guess I should just pray about it now. But no, prayer should be our first reaction to any situation. Then notice in verse 3, that it is possible for us to ask for the wrong reasons. In this case, God will not answer out prayers. Biblical prayer is not like a genie in a bottle who will grant us any 3 wishes we want; biblical prayer is to request the right thing for the right reasons and receive the answer from our Father in heaven.

F. Lk.18:1-5; I Ths.5:16
When should we pray? I Thessalonians 5 tells us to “Pray without ceasing.” We have talked about how Jesus would often teach in parables. Well look at this parable in Luke 18. Luke tells us, “This parable Jesus taught that men should always pray and not lose heart.” It is the story of a widow who comes to an unrighteous king, begging for justice against her enemy. The king refuses, but she continues to beg him. Time and time again, she asks him. Then eventually, the king grants her request, so that she will stop asking. This is the attitude we should have with God in prayer. Never give up. Pray and pray and pray and pray until God answers, because He has promised that He will.

G. Mat. 21:21-22; Jms.1:5-8
Now comes the most important element of prayer – faith. If we are to learn to pray effectively, we must pray with faith. This is something that God has been teaching me in the past few months. Matthew 21:21 says, “If you have faith and do not doubt… whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

H. Eph.3:20
Lastly, listen to this verse about God’s power to answer prayer. “Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us…”

I. A prayer of Jesus – Gethsemane/John 17
As we close today, I want us to examine one of the prayers of Jesus. We know from the Gospels that Jesus was often in prayer, regularly and consistently. We one of those prayers is actually recorded for us in John chapter 17. It was Christ’s prayer in the garden of Gethsemane. Have you ever wondered what Christ was praying for that night, when He saw the cross before him and his disciples all around Him? He prayed for so long that they fell asleep 3 times. We see in His prayer His human fear combined with His humble surrender. He prays in Mark, “Father, if it is possible, take this cup away from me; but not my will, but yours be done.” Look now at His prayer in John 17. “Father, the hour is come. Glorify your son, that your son may glorify you.” Again we see that Christ’s main desire on earth was to bring glory to His Father in heaven. “I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world,” Jesus prayed for His disciples. “I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.” Now listen to this: “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;” Who is that? That is you. Jesus prayed for you. He prayed for me. Because somewhere, if we were able to follow the trail all the way back, we have heard about Jesus through the testimony of the 12 disciples. Peter preached the gospel at Pentecost and 3,000 people were saved. They then went out across the world preaching the gospel. And that same gospel was passed down through the years, and eventually, somebody told you about this Jesus. You believed on Jesus through the testimony of the disciples. Jesus prayed for you in the garden that night. What an amazing thought!
So if we are going to think like Jesus, we must begin by developing a Heart for the Lost. And then, we must have a Heart for Prayer. If Jesus Christ, the Son of God, needed to spend time in prayer, how much more do we? Remember that one of Jesus’ purposes for coming to earth was to give us a perfect example to follow. A heart for prayer will help us to think like Jesus. Let’s pray…

"Cual Es La Mejor? (Which Is the Best?)"

This question I asked the youth last Sunday. And it is the question I have been asking myself for the last year or so. We were talking with the youth about God's perfect plan for their lives. I heard this question in a sermon, but now I don't remember who said it or where. But God has used it in my life and continues to use it.



I am here to decide if God wants me to come here permanently to serve Him here in Mexico. I have surrendered my life to serve God full-time in whatever capacity He will allow me. And in seeking different ministries to serve in, there are many good options. So it is with life. There are many good things that we could do. But... "Which is the best?"



Thus have I seached the Scriptures for God's thoughts on our lives. He says, "Go into ALL the world, and preach the gospel to EVERY creature." He says, "You shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and Judea, and to the uttermost parts of the world." Paul says, "We are ambassadors for Christ, as if God Himself were making His request through us: Be reconciled to God." John says, "Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." It has been accurately said that there is only one thing here on earth that we will not be able to do in heaven - and it is for that purpose that we are left here on the earth. It is to tell sinners that they can be reconciled to God!



I don't think any Christian would disagree that we are called to be a witness to the lost. But again, I take the question even to location of ministry. "There are many good places you could serve God, but which is the best?" In this, I do remember very vividly an illustration that was given when I was in college. A man was preaching about Jesus feeding the 5,000. He said this: "Imagine this situation. Jesus has prayed and broken the bread and fish as the disciples begin to help distribute the food. They take the food to the families closest to Jesus and when the baskets empty, come back for more. Then they take the food again to the people closest to Jesus. Again, they run out before all the people have eaten. They get more food from Jesus and again, feed the same people. How long will it be before the people in the back begin to cry out, 'Jesus, what about us? We're hungry, too! We need to eat! Jesus, what about us?"



How many times have you been witnessing in the States and encountered somebody who has NEVER heard the name of Jesus, somebody who has never seen a Bible, or somebody who is literally crying out for a Savior? For me, it has been rare - in fact, almost never. But leave the country! Abandon the spoiled, selfish American Dream and get out into the real life of most of the world - one lived somewhere between hunger/poverty and a hard-working life with basic needs sufficiently met. Where is the best place with the most potential for reaching the lost? In my view right now, it's anywhere outside the U.S.



Brother Randy said something to me the other day that was very eye-opening. He said, "You know brother, this thing about following God's will isn't as hard as we make it out to be. God just opens and closes doors and we're supposed to walk through them." So for me, thus far in my thinking, God is opening doors for me to come here. And until He closes them, I'm going to walk through them. And looking at my life NOW, in considering many good ministries, "Which is the best?" I have nothing to keep me in the States. Possessions? I have a few, but what are they, other than distractions to keep me entertained and passified while the world dies and goes to hell. Family? Nothing means more to me in the world, but to be in Mexico, I wouldn't be much more out of contact than in the States, given that they are still traveling and I am not. Church? Absolutely, I have the best church family I could ask for. But they also have such a vision for the world and a philosophy of missions, that I would be no less a part of our church if I were here in Mexico full-time. What else do I have to go back for? Nothing.

So has God prepared me for Mexico? Now, I am 26 years old, single, looking for where God could use me, and now can speak Spanish (still learning, yes, but well enough :o) And the phrase that always is a comfort to me is this: "God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called." As a preacher in college said, "God chooses the boneheads." God chooses the weak vessels, so that He can be glorified through them. God always makes His will unmistakably clear. But right now, I don't see why I wouldn't come back, I don't believe I shouldn't come back, and I can't see how I won't be coming back. If God closes the doors, so be it. But as of now, they are open wide!!!

Jesus said, "Open your eyes and look to the fields, for they are white already unto harvest. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into the field."

To Seek and To Save

This Saturday, April 12th, we gathered at the church to go out on visitation, like every week. But a couple of things I saw today inspired me to write what I had seen. Some Saturdays we go to the town center and hand out tracts to people. One Saturday we visited all of the church members. This week it was time to go knocking on people's doors. I was reminded of the passage I was studying for Sunday School - that Jesus was intentional and deliberate in seeking the lost.

The first thing I saw was so convicting to me. It was Joaquin. He is 8 years old and he lives at the ranch. When we arrived at the section of town where we were going to knock doors, we split up. I was expecting little Joaquin to join up with one of the adults or something. But no, he took his stack of tracts and walked right up to the first house and knocked on the door, just as if it were his best friends house. What a coward I am! The last time I knocked on a door was in Canada and I was afraid to do so without another one of the guys from the hockey team with me. I, along with many other Christians in America, have been a spiritual coward.

The next thing I saw was a reminder of the power of prayer. You know, sometimes we have to wait days, months, or years to see answers to our prayers. But I was reminded yesterday that God is able to answer a prayer in an instant. Adrian and I went up to a house with a big white gate and called out to anyone inside. A lady named Marcelina came out to see us. She has been raised Catholic and had already heard of all the Scriptures Adrian and I were sharing with her. As Adrian explained the plan of salvation and her need for a Savior, I would pray specifically for her and see God answering prayers within seconds! She looked confused as Adrian explained that she needed a personal Savior and not a priest. I prayed, "God help her to understand..." Her countenance began to change and she began to nod her head in agreement. Adrian explained to her that it is a decision that needs to be made at a specific point in time. He asked her if she wanted to pray right then to receive Christ. She backed up and said, "Well, I just don't see why it is necessary, because I already go to church." I thought that maybe she felt intimidated by this American and another stranger. So I prayed, "God give her the courage to make this decision now." So Adrian talked to her for a few minutes and again, she began to understand and nod in agreement. When he asked her again, she said yes she understood, and yes she wanted to pray right then. So she prayed and received Christ that day.

What an amazing God we serve and what a privilege we have to be involved in the saving of souls. But what a responsibility! Don't be afraid. Don't fear. You are a beggar who has found the Bread of Life. Now go and tell other beggars where to find it as well.